Improvement in machines for seaming metal roofing



0.11. 8v W. G. DOWD. MACHINE POR SBAMING METAL RooPING.

No. 36,561. Patented Sept. 30, 1862.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

lMPROVEMENTlN MACHINES-FOR SEAVMIING METAL ROGFlNG;

I Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 36.56B. dated September 30, 1362.

'rz all whom t may-concern.-

Bc it known that we, C. H. -DOWD and W'. G. DOWD,both o Scranton, in the county of Luzerne and State -of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and Improved Machine for Seaming Sheet-Metal Roofing; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a' part of this specification, in which- Figure l represents a longitudinal vertical section of our invention, taken in the plane indicated by the line .r x, Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a top view of the same. Fig. 3 is an eleva-tion of l(he same. Figs. 4,'5, 6, 7, S, and 9 are detached elevations ofthe several rollers, showing their action on the metal. Fig. 10 is a transverse vertical section yof the metal wit-h a double seam produced by the action of our machine.

.Similar letters of reference in the several figures indicate corresponding parts. y

This invention consists in arranging the bearings ofthe burring-rollcrs in transverselyadjustable slides in such a manner that said rollers can be readily separated and the niaL chine drawn back without lifting the saine off the seam. l

It consists, further, in the employment. of squeezing rollers in combination with the burring, folding, and seaining rollers in such a manner that the working rollers can be released from the seam while the squeezers hold the machine firmly in its place.

.It consists, further, iu combining with said squeezing-rollers a yielding bearing and an eccentric cam in such a manner that by the action of the cam the squeezing-rollers can readily be separated and the seam released.

It consists, finally, in arranging the wheels which support the machine on axles which are bent outside the journals, so as to be eccentric to the journals themselves, in such a manner that by turning the axles of the wheels the machine can he adjusted higher or lower, as may be desired.

To enable those skilled in the art to fully understand and use our invent-ion, we will proceed to describe it with reference to the draw- 1U S;

he frame A of our machine hangs suspended from the projecting ends of the two axles C C', which rest in the wheels B B. The l bearings a a of said axles are arranged eccentrically with those parts of the same which support the wheels,v and they project beyond their journal-boxes b b sufficiently far to afford room for hand-levers c c', whereby the 'axles may be turned round on their bearings a a'. By this operation'thevflame is raised or lowered, and it can therefore be easily adjusted to any desired height simply by turning the hand-levers c c'. Therfront wheels, B, form guides between which the two edges of the standing joints enter, and as the machine is pushed or drawn along on the roof the edges of the metal come in contact with the burringrollers D- D E E F F. The rollers D E F are arranged with rigid bearings in a slide, j',

- which is guided Kby the flanged cross-bars g,A

and to which a transversely-sliding motion towardor from the center transversely of the machine can be imparted by means of an cccentric caniv h. This cam is operated by a suitable handle and Works in a mortise, i, cut forthis purpose into the slide f. Itis secured to a pivot, j, which is firmly iusertedint the frame A, and it is fastened in the desired position by a hand-screw, k. The rollers D E F are attached to springsl, which rise from a', slide, j", nioving between the flanged cross! bars g, andcperated by an eccentric cam, h', precisely int-he same manneras the slide f.

By the action ofthe rollers D D EE F F the metal is turned over, as clearly shown in Figs. 4, 5, and 6 5 and it isobviousthat when the metal is brought in the shape shown in either of these figures, but particularly iu that shown in Fig. 6,the machine is prevented from riding in passing over the cross-seams, and at the same time, if it is desired to draw back the machine without lifting it oit' the seam, this .'can be done by separating the rollers. After the metal has been turned over'to the form shown in Fig. 6 in red outlines it passes under the'folding-4 roller G, which turns the long edge over, as

shown in Fig. 7, and, nally, by the action ofthe steaming-roller H said edge is turned down, as sh own in Fig. 8, and the single seam is completed. From the seaming-roller H the seam passes through between the squeezing-rollers I I, one of which has a rigid bearing, While the bearing of the other is yielding, being attached to a spring, 'l'. An eccentric cam', m, is

secured on the Vpivot of the roller I, Iand by ,turning this cam in the proper -direction'the spring Z is forced back and the squeezers are separated. The machine' isdrawn over the Aroofby means of liandles K K, one of which.

is seeured to the axle of the fore wheels and one to theaxle of the hind wheels, and said handles may be used for drawing or for push ing, as may be desired. has been completed the machine is drawn back, and by turning the axles CC the frame is lowered a quarter of an inchl (more .or less) and the same operation is repeated. By thesemeans the seam isdoubled over and the double seam is completed. (See Fig. 10.) y

It will'be noticed that the several working rollers of our machine operate without gearing, simply by the friction between their surfaces andthe metal, and they areso arranged that they turn the edge gradually, at the same time hugging tlie'seam so closely that the machine will not ridev in passing over the crossj scams.

During the operation' of the burring-rollers the short end of the joint is continually supported by one of said rollers, and consequently it is kept perfectly upright, as will be clearly understood by referring to Figs'. 4, 5,' and 6.

The machine can be propelled without any danger to the operator, and all the working roliers can be released from the seam, While the squeezers hold the machine rmlyin its After the single seam.

place The squeezers are then separated by touching the rear eccentric lever with the foot. Having thusfully described our invention,

what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is.- i

1. The arrangment of the transversely-moving slides ff', in combinati-on with the burring-rollers D D E EF F', constructed and operating substantially as and for thepurposc herein shown 'and described.

2. The employment ofsqueezing-rollers I I',

in combination with the burring-rollers D D -E E F F', folding-roller G', and seaming-rollertion with the WheelsB B and frame A, as and for the` purpose specified.

VC. H. DOWD.

W. G. DOVVD,

Witnesses: Y,

Trios. LEONARD, JOHN P. ORCHARD. 

